OK, so you're no Vladimir Horowitz on the piano. But sometimes playing the piano just for the fun of tickling the ivories is enough. An added benefit is that an hour of playing the piano (or violin or trumpet) burns about 176 calories for a 155-pound person.

FOOD FACTOR: WHOLE GRAINS

Think of whole grains as “cardio carbs,” says a Harvard study, which advocates reduced refined carbs, such as cookies, and more vegetable proteins and fats. This heart-healthy eating may cut your risk of a heart attack by 30 percent.

NEWS FLASH: ARTHRITIS

For almost 7 million American workers, arthritis keeps them from doing their jobs at peak performance, researchers estimate based on the 2002 National Health Interview Survey.

Results suggest that arthritis affects 18 percent of adults between the ages of 18 and 64. Of those with arthritis, nearly 30 percent report work limitations.

According to Arthritis & Rheumatism, work limitation is most common among people aged 45 to 64 years, women, blacks, people who did not finish high school and those who earn less than $20,000.